In our previous article, we saw that justification is by faith alone and not by faith plus works. In this article, we will see that justification is by grace alone apart from any human effort or work. It is important not to stop at faith alone but to consider grace alone too because even the faith to believe is a result of God’s grace. If faith were something that a fallen human being could somehow generate of himself, then faith becomes a kind of work and salvation would no longer be entirely of the Lord. Instead, salvation would be partially of the Lord and partially of man.
Terry Johnson wrote, “The Reformers saw that to stop at ‘faith alone’ could have the effect of turning faith into a work. It would be an effortless work, but nevertheless a work, the exercising of which would earn salvation. Sola fide (faith alone) and solo Christo (Christ alone) must rest upon the foundation of sola gratia (grace alone).”
Now it is important to realise that Roman Catholics also believe that salvation is by grace. What they do not believe is that salvation is by grace alone. For them, God’s grace enables a person to do the good works by which he or she may earn eternal life. This understanding, however, goes contrary to what the Bible teaches for not only are we unable to do the good works that are necessary for salvation, we are unable to believe or repent or take even the slightest step towards God apart from His grace.
In Ephesians 2:1-3, the Apostle Paul tells us three things about fallen human beings.
First, they are dead. Fallen human beings are spiritually dead in their trespasses and sins. They are unable to respond to God and His Word. In fact, they have no desire or inclination whatsoever to hear, believe, and obey the Word. Their hearts are hardened, their eyes are closed and their ears are shut to the gospel, and no amount of preaching, reasoning, and persuasion will be effective. Something must be done to them and in them for them to respond to spiritual truths.
Second, they are rebellious. Ephesians 2:2 tells us that they are under the powerful influence of Satan and are children of disobedience. Not only are they unresponsive to God’s Word, but they actually hate Him and rebel against His law. Jesus says in John 3:19-20, “And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.” Fallen human beings love the darkness of sin and hate the light of God’s Word.
Third, they are doomed. Ephesians 2:3 says that they are, by nature, the children of wrath. This means that they are objects of God’s wrath and curse, and they stand condemned before Him because of their sins, both actual and original. They have absolutely no hope of cleansing themselves or clearing their guilt. In fact, every moment that they live, they only add to the huge mountain of sin-debt that they owe to God, which cannot be paid by anything they do or not do.
And so we learn that all human beings, by nature, are spiritually dead, in a state of rebellion against God, and under God’s wrath and curse. There is absolutely no hope for them apart from the grace of God, which may be defined as the active favour of God in bestowing the greatest gift upon those who have deserved the greatest punishment.
The Apostle Paul goes on to write in Ephesians 2:4-5, “But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)” And again in verse 8-9, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”
Salvation, from beginning to end and from top to bottom, is entirely by the grace of God. Even the faith to believe is a gift of God and does not originate or arise from the heart of sinful man. Similarly, repentance, which is necessary for salvation (Luke 13:3), is also a gift of God. Acts 11:18 says, “When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life.”
And because salvation is entirely of God’s grace, there is no place for pride or boasting. Those who are saved cannot say to those who are not saved that they are somehow better or wiser or more worthy than them. It is God’s grace alone and not human merit or work that makes all the difference among men. Paul reminded the Corinthian Christians of that truth in 1 Corinthians 4:7, “For who maketh thee to differ from another? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive? now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it?”
But the fact that we have been saved by grace alone does not mean that there is no place for good works or godly living in the life of a Christians. On the contrary, those who have been saved by grace will produce good works and will live a life of holiness and godliness. The Apostle Paul elsewhere says in Titus 2:11-13, “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;”
What the Apostle is saying is that the grace of God that saves us is also the same grace that trains us in the way that we should live. Negatively, God’s grace trains us to reject ungodliness and world lusts. Positively, it trains us to live soberly with reference to ourselves, righteously with reference to other people, and godly with reference to the Lord. And this training takes place in this present world, meaning to say that it is in the here and now that God’s people experience a time of sanctification, where they become less and less like their old sinful self, and more and more like their new Christ-like self.
As we conclude, here are two things for us to takeaway.
First, let us examine ourselves to see if we are indeed under the tutelage and training of the grace of God. Have we been consciously rejecting the evil things of this world, be it in the things that we read, watch, listen, say, think and do? Or have we been simply going with the flow by giving in to our lusts, and following the pattern of ungodliness that we find everywhere around us? And have we been living lives of self-control and self-mastery with respect to our desires and circumstances? Have we been living righteously and honestly with respect to other people? And have we been living a life of devotion and reverence with respect to the Lord?
If not, then it is likely that you are still in your sins and unconverted, for the grace that saves is also the grace that trains. Seek the Lord this day for His grace and mercy. Remember that you cannot save yourself. Only the Lord can.
Second, if you have experienced His grace in salvation, then respond in gratitude to the Lord. Remember that there was, and still is, nothing good in us whatsoever that we should deserve to be visited by His saving and sanctifying grace. We have been rescued from the greatest possible evil and we have been blessed with the greatest possible good. What more can we ask for? Surely, the least we can do is to be grateful to Him and to be filled with amazement at what He has done for us!
May the Lord enable us to do that. Amen.
—Linus Chua
Edited by: LPS